During the last several years, consumer interest in eating foods that are nutritionally balanced with an adequate source of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals has increased. Growing concern over chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease have motivated consumers to seek foods for consumption that are effective in treating chronic diseases while promoting a healthier lifestyle.
Consumption of vegetables having phytochemicals may prove challenging to individuals as vegetables contain anti-nutritional components, such as indigestible sugars, enzyme inhibitors, nutrient-binding substances or toxic compounds. Heat and/or pressure processing of vegetables to eliminate anti-nutritional components in the vegetable prior to consumption are the traditional approach used by food manufacturers. However, heat and/or pressure processing may eliminate most, if not all phytochemicals during the manufacturing process. While certain plant materials have been degraded or modified with one or more enzymes to form nutritional plant foods, enzymes are typically applied to the plant material when the plant material is in the form of a slurry rather than in whole form which results in modification of the plant material and loss in nutrient status. In addition, enzymes like cellulase and xylanase have been sprayed onto raw plant materials having a low moisture content of less than about 15 weight percent to form enzyme coated plant materials. However, this technique is problematic since enzyme application results in undesirable enzymatic degradation and/or premature deactivation of enzymatic activity.